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00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:07,316
The ruins of great cities do not tell us
everything about the people who built them.
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00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:14,109
ln these mud-walled streets
a mystery 5000 years old still lingers.
3
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,278
The key to it
may lie with the River lndus
4
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,836
a mystical silver serpent
that rises in the Himalayas
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00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,476
and uncoils
through an immense landscape.
6
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,877
People settled on its banks
despite the floods.
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00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,073
They tamed the rivers
and transformed desert into gardens.
8
00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,158
But what do we really know
about them?
9
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,956
A century of archaeological digs
still hasn't solved the mystery.
10
00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:48,038
This civilisation flourished for 500 years
11
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,789
then vanished into historical limbo.
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00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,158
But it left behind a sacred heritage -
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00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:57,598
water.
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00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,753
At the end of a hard day in 1920
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00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,272
Professor M.S. Vats
gazed over the remains of Harappa
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00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,711
the key site in the lndus civilisation.
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00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:31,878
The light of the setting sun
fell on walls, pavements, columns.
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00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,711
At the same time
several hundred kilometres away.
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00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:47,948
Professor R.D. Banerjee was excavating
the ruins of a gigantic city -
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00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,116
Mohenjo-Daro.
21
00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:06,312
ln Europe, archaeologists reacted
with astonishment or incredulity.
22
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,034
European scholars
had always downplayed
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00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,312
the extent
of early Asian civilisations.
24
00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,719
Since then, no less than
a thousand sites have been discovered
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00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:22,469
in a region covering
a million square kilometres.
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00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:30,118
The lndus, born of the Himalayan snows
and bounded by Pakistan and lndia
27
00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,993
is 3000 kilometres long.
28
00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,829
lts valley was home
to a flourishing civilisation.
29
00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,999
( BlRDS CHlRP )
30
00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,312
For a long time, our image
of this civilisation was blurred.
31
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,638
The first archaeologists thought
they had discovered cities of children.
32
00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,550
They unearthed toys, dice,
whistles. marbles...
33
00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,635
( CHlLDREN'S LAUGHTER )
34
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,310
The people seemed oblivious
of death and war.
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00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,478
They appeared
a carefree, happy population
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00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,478
the Arcadians of the lndus.
37
00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:43,956
(Speaks French)
ln the 19th century
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00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,199
lndia was regarded
as the mother of civilisations
39
00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,835
But the great civilisations
could only be Middle Eastern, Egyptian.
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00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:59,910
Mortimer Wheeler, one of the great
British archaeologists in lndia
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00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:05,194
called lndia "the Cinderella civilisation"
because it was the last born.
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00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:11,316
Some even thought it a pale copy
of Mesopotamian civilisations
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00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,876
before it was realised
that it was in fact unique
44
00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,469
When archaeologists started to dig
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00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:33,231
they found nothing resembling
the Mesopotamian civilisations.
46
00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,718
But they soon realised
they were uncovering huge cities.
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00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,639
Some sites cover 200 to 300 hectares.
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00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:46,949
ln area, Mohenjo-Daro is probably
the largest of all ancient cities.
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00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,277
Mohenjo-Daro
lay on the banks of the lndus
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00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,472
in the Sind province
of southern Pakistan.
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00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:05,831
2000 years before Christ
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00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,875
this land was settled by newcomers
from the border regions of ancient Persia.
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00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,116
Today, it is desert.
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00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:18,269
But on this spot, they founded
the largest city of the lndus civilisation
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00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,837
with 40000 people
and an area of a square kilometre.
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00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,311
The streets reflect
the genius of their builders.
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00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,717
The city layout is a model
of ancient town planning.
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00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:46,119
Residential blocks are defined by long
straight arteries crossing at right angles.
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00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:50,154
The main street is never less
than 9 metres wide.
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00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,830
lt's easy to imagine it
filled with colourful crowds.
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00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,436
lmagine the archaeologists' surprise
when they discovered
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00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,349
that the entire city had
a complex water-management system.
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00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,074
lt had 80 public toilets
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00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:08,909
ln the residential areas
every house had a tiled bathroom
65
00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,156
and its own well.
66
00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,480
Sewers serviced the whole city
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00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,911
ln a unique system
for a centre 4000 years old
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00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,476
drains for waste water
gutters and water collectors
69
00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:23,636
were dug in the main streets.
70
00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:25,956
ln cul-de-sacs and smaller streets
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00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,550
waste water was poured
into bottomless jars.
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00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,548
Some crossroads had brick containers
for rubbish disposal.
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00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,157
The most spectacular discovery
was made at the top of the city
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00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,316
On a huge brick platform
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00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,830
the last refuge from
the devastating floods of the lndus
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00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,794
the people of Mohenjo-Daro
built a great bath.
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00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,958
For their daily ablutions
they came to this pool.
78
00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,311
Round about it
was a gallery with fountains.
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00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,560
The thousand cities
of this civilisation
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00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,991
were scattered over a territory
twice as large as France
81
00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,117
One of them
was on the island of Khadir Bet
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00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:31,789
Desertification has now made it
a narrow strip in a sea of salt
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00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,236
The city was Dholavira
84
00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,558
a junction for the trade routes
crisscrossing the marshy region of Kutch.
85
00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,638
The lndus builders mostly used brick -
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00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:57,152
unfired bricks for walls
and fired bricks for foundations.
87
00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,876
ln Dholavira, archaeologists also
discovered monumental stone walls
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00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:03,877
15 metres high.
89
00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,551
The walls testify to the mastery
and science of their masons
90
00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,878
who must already have been familiar
with plumb-lines and water-levels.
91
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,038
Dholavira's carpenters
used Himalayan cedar
92
00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:21,678
in columns that fitted perfectly into
the finely cut and polished stonework.
93
00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,799
Here too, a complex water system
serviced the city.
94
00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,560
Water was used to clean the streets.
95
00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:38,198
lt ran off into underground conduits.
which carried it beyond the city walls.
96
00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:22,394
Since it was discovered in 1989.
97
00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,558
an entire city
has gradually been unearthed
98
00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,035
from sediment over 8 metres deep
99
00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,959
But Dholavira has also been
an endless source of questions
100
00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:39,790
Archaeologists are particularly interested
in the city's outskirts
101
00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,559
For Professor R.S. Bisht and his team
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00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:46,955
Dholavira brought a fresh perspective
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00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,675
on the technological knowledge
of the people of the lndus.
104
00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:56,595
The dig showed that the city's builders
had burrowed right to the bedrock.
105
00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,758
As the archaeologists
dug deeper and deeper
106
00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:03,236
they uncovered strange structures
like deep pits.
107
00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,876
For a long time.
they couldn't explain their purpose.
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00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:20,798
(Speaks English)
Look at this. It's going deeper, deeper...
We don't know how deep it is there.
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00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:26,154
You see, we have aIready
gone down 8 metres from the surface.
110
00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,151
And it's still going deeper.
111
00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,955
The kind of rock cuts
you've aIready seen here.
112
00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:38,150
Was this structure
part of a defence system?
113
00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,874
Or perhaps an underground dwelling?
114
00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,674
How were these walls built?
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00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:47,194
They were constructed with great care.
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00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,234
The stones fit exactly
and the wall stands on solid rock
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00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,512
which also makes up
the floor of the pit.
118
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,039
I'm standing
in a Iong and deep reservoir
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00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:06,356
cut through the limestone rock.
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00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:08,592
In fact...
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00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:14,277
this is the first example
of rock-cut architecture...
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00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,277
by the Harappans.
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00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,117
It is continuing further eastward
on that side.
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00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:22,516
Further westward on that side.
125
00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,757
We have aIready confirmed
the western end of this reservoir
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00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,872
which lies 85 metres away
further west.
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00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,913
Dholavira finally yielded up
some of its secrets.
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00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:44,150
Professor Bisht believes that
the city had 16 reservoirs all around it.
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00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:52,995
Thanks to his work. the city plan
can be recreated after 5000 years.
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00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:02,949
Dholavira was surrounded by
250 000 cubic metres of precious water.
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00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,994
The city covered 48 hectares
and had a population of 20 000.
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00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,431
ln its centre was a citadel
with solid walls.
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00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,599
Another wall separated the upper part
of the city from the lower.
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00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,918
The city had many gardens,
warehouses and granaries.
135
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:31,033
Dholavira's wealth came
from the wheat and barley trade
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00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:35,119
and its people soon turned
to the nearby sea.
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00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,310
Even after the general plan
of the city was recreated
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00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:45,193
it still took archaeologists
some time
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00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,359
to work out how the reservoirs
surrounding it were filled.
140
00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:59,039
Drinking water has always been scarce
in the Kutch marshes.
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00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:03,631
Today, the sea has retreated
leaving behind a salty desert.
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00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,753
The remaining villages have
just a few wells of brackish water.
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00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,875
And yet the people of the lndus
survived in this hostile environment
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00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:32,473
5000 years ago, in a land alternately
burnt by the sun and swept by floods
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00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:38,630
a civilisation grew up
because it knew how to manage water.
146
00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,389
Big rivers were vital to the growth
of the lndus civilisation
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00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,876
as they are
to all agrarian civilisations.
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00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:54,438
The rivers facilitate agriculture.
which then feeds cities
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00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:59,077
where a new,
non-peasant population appears,
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00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,238
a population of labourers
and craftsmen.
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00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:07,150
ln the past, the lndus
spread across a huge plain
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00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:09,271
which was cultivated
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00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,472
at the risk of one's fields
disappearing every year.
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00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,717
Every year in July
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00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:21,357
the monsoon covers the Pakistani
countryside in a blanket of rain.
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00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,394
That's when the lndus.
swollen by the melting Himalayan snows
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00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,352
breaks its banks.
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00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:32,190
lt spreads everywhere,
covering the earth with a coat of clay.
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00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,718
But the floods
are not considered a calamity.
160
00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,037
People welcome and respect them
as a godsend.
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00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:48,199
Their properties are mainly
out of reach of the rising waters.
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00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,679
How did the people of the lndus manage
to tame the devastating floods
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00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,314
5000 years ago?
164
00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:05,069
The archaeologists found the answer
in the ground around Dholavira.
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00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,239
ln dry riverbeds, which become torrents
during the monsoon.
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00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,398
they found traces
of stone structures.
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00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:17,230
These were the remains of dams
built to control the flow of water.
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00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,116
That was the answer!
169
00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,551
The people of Dholavira
changed the course of rivers
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00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,955
to fill gigantic reservoirs,
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00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,756
the largest of which was 79 metres long
and more than 7 metres deep.
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00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:07,637
Nor was that all.
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00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,037
For the water to flow
from one reservoir to another,
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00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:15,028
the architects had to use
the natural incline of the terrain.
175
00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,550
The upper city,
into which the water flows initially
176
00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:22,469
is situated 13 metres higher
than the lower side.
177
00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:24,955
That was how they retained the water.
178
00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,038
Aqueducts carried it
to the heart of the city.
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00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,789
The stored water also made it possible
to irrigate the fields
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00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:33,831
for most of the year.
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00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:56,519
The plan of the city was entirely devised
to collect the precious water.
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00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:03,717
Dholavira, mistress of the river,
seemed to float on mirrors of silver.
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00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,115
The ruins of Dholavira are now silent,
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00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,312
The relentless heat splits the stone,
185
00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,876
Water no longer flows in the streets.
186
00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:36,153
And yet, a strange atmosphere
surrounds the visitor.
187
00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:40,638
For this city worshipped water
more than any other.
188
00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:42,956
The citadel, at the top of the city.
189
00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,312
also had an ingenious system
for collecting rainwater.
190
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,072
(THUNDER)
191
00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:24,876
Gutters channelled rainwater
into a large reservoir outside Dholavira.
192
00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,152
For years, archaeologists
pondered the question,
193
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:32,399
what distinction did the Dholavirans make
between water from the rivers
194
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,034
and water from the sky?
195
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,036
For the people of Dholavira,
196
00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,550
water was the fundamental element
in their survival.
197
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,309
lts marriage with the earth
made crops possible.
198
00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:03,036
lts alliance with man
allowed souls to be purified.
199
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,355
ln the heart of the citadel
was a sacred place.
200
00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,438
There, in the middle
of a paved esplanade,
201
00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,791
the Dholavirans had placed
two tanks and a well,
202
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,673
whose mouths
gaped toward the heavens.
203
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:28,556
But the men who dug them
were thinking of the depths of the earth.
204
00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:34,719
The archaeologists have discovered
the place of worship.
205
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,311
lt was a well 4 metres in diameter
and 20 metres deep.
206
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,873
Women came here to draw water.
207
00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,878
The edge of the well
still has the grooves
208
00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,311
where the women drew up
their waterskins with ropes.
209
00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,590
For the people of Dholavira,
210
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:15,112
the purest water was that drawn
from the depths of the earth.
211
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,312
The blessed liquid
filled two small pools
212
00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,592
in which worshippers
performed their ablutions.
213
00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,030
When descending these steps,
214
00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:33,791
they were encountering the power
of the earth, the universal mother,
215
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,037
and the purifying power of water.
216
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,549
Dholavira is no longer
in the path of any river.
217
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,356
No splash or trickle
disturbs the silence of the ruins.
218
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,116
Another mystery
has long haunted this region.
219
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,517
Civilisation developed
along the River lndus.
220
00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,632
So why are most
of the rediscovered cities
221
00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:07,037
in the middle
of inhospitable sand deserts?
222
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,595
Why do they dot desert valleys?
223
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:11,597
To answer these questions,
224
00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,190
archaeologists point
to an lndian folk song.
225
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,269
(SlNGlNG CONTlNUES)
226
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,118
The Ghaggar Hakra, a river
long thought to be a mere legend,
227
00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,914
once flowed through the Thar Desert.
228
00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:29,796
The river has now disappeared,
but not without trace.
229
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,073
(Speaks English)
The stiII water is stagnating.
230
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:55,875
There is satellite imagery.
231
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,072
Secondly, the kind of earth
we have here
232
00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,637
is clearly a dried-up riverbed
where we are standing.
233
00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:09,233
Water from the past is still there
Otherwise none would lie there.
234
00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,078
lt's not a pond
235
00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,635
it's part of the riverbed.
236
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:15,796
So this is clear evidence
237
00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:24,791
4500 years ago, a powerful river
flowed through this plain.
238
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,073
So the Ghaggar Hakra
said to have risen high in the Himalayas
239
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,635
was not a myth after all.
240
00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,991
While excavating
some unusual earthworks
241
00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:39,159
archaeologists discovered dikes
that protected fields from flooding.
242
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:43,319
They found the same brick walls,
the same system of water management,
243
00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,511
the same dams...
244
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,117
Today, geologists have even
found the water.
245
00:24:55,320 --> 00:25:00,314
4000 years ago, a powerful earthquake
changed the course of the river.
246
00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:04,479
lt shifted further east,
towards the Ganges basin.
247
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:10,630
But the groundwater artery was still there
just a few metres beneath the surface.
248
00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,917
From 1990, new wells were dug
249
00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:27,317
and the precious water
began to flow again
250
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,114
Over 4000 years after it disappeared
251
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,711
the Ghaggar Hakra resurfaced
from the depths of the earth.
252
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,957
With it,
a whole region came back to life.
253
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:43,188
Fields reappeared in the landscape and
abandoned villages were repopulated.
254
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,277
Much time had passed
255
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:50,270
but the same methods of cultivating land
and making it fertile were rediscovered.
256
00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:55,315
Once again, water emerged
as the mother of civilisation.
257
00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,036
2000 years before Christ
258
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,152
fields of wheat and barley
surrounded the cities
259
00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:12,318
between the lndus
and the Ghaggar Hakra.
260
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:16,479
Traces found on pottery
show that cotton was cultivated.
261
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:20,150
The peasants also grew
peas and sesame seeds.
262
00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,114
They kept buffaloes and zebu cattle,
sheep and goats.
263
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:29,678
A diverse, bountiful agriculture
fed the cities and kept them prosperous.
264
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:42,510
Soon villages appeared in the most
remote regions of the vast country.
265
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,836
Civilisation was spreading.
266
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:49,352
ln the walled cities,
artisans were able to perfect their skills.
267
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,718
Every city had its craftsmen's quarter.
268
00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:59,311
ldeas, methods and inventions
spread together with trade.
269
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:04,355
ln the markets, in jewellers' workshops,
scales and weights appeared.
270
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:08,155
The streets teemed
with hardworking populations.
271
00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:16,472
Stonemasons fashioned new tools
such as jasper drills or polishing stones.
272
00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:30,552
The city dwellers mastered the art
of making ornaments from cornelian.
273
00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,479
They made weapons
mirrors and razors
274
00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,114
and they excelled in woodwork.
275
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,549
Their ceramics reached
every corner of the East.
276
00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,435
They mastered the art
of working copper and bronze.
277
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:54,596
Artists carved ivory
278
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,509
and set semi-precious stones in gold
to make jewellery.
279
00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:00,836
The level of production was such
280
00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:05,318
that the civilisation seemed
on the verge of an industrial era.
281
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:14,478
We have a fairly good idea
of the strength of their economy.
282
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:19,595
The great cities of the lndus.
especially Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
283
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,075
had well-developed crafts
284
00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:26,239
that produced items
only this civilisation could make
285
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,035
like particular types
of near-industrial ceramics
286
00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,516
not to mention
all that's been lost.
287
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,392
The lndus civilisation must have
produced a lot of textiles.
288
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,559
of food processed
using the technologies of the time.
289
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,309
No traces remain of all that
it s all disappeared.
290
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:53,870
But today, some of its products
would qualify as industrial-quality
291
00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,915
and they were widely exported
from the Gulf to Mesopotamia.
292
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,308
With their first trading journeys.
293
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,796
the people of the lndus
took care to mark their products
294
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,878
with clay stamps or copper plates.
295
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,834
But their favourite method
was seals made of steatite
296
00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,554
a material that hardens when heated.
297
00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:29,197
Merchants hung them around their necks
and they were widely used.
298
00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:54,313
The development of long-distance trade
led the lndus merchants to forge alliances
299
00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,398
and to invent the concept
of the contract.
300
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:02,151
To seal a contract
they used finely carved stone cylinders
301
00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:05,318
similar to those in Mesopotamia.
302
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:23,559
More than 2000 of these seals
have been found.
303
00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:28,788
They're carved with animal profiles -
zebu, buffalo, crocodiles -
304
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,549
or with more intricate
and mysterious motifs.
305
00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,399
lnscriptions accompany the images.
306
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:40,549
Archaeologists have identified
over 400 recurring signs.
307
00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,638
One problem with the lndus civilisation
308
00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:45,671
is that its people wrote
309
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:46,949
We know that
310
00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,310
we have thousands of documents
311
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:53,399
But they wrote on perishable media
312
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:56,637
so we don t have their writings
313
00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,116
only what we'd call street signs
314
00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:02,276
signs on key rings
315
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,313
everything that remained solid
316
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,909
while the other media disappeared.
317
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,429
So we don t know. We have no texts.
318
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,834
So we saw a civilisation emerge
that had writing
319
00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,077
but we thought
it was just for magic rituals
320
00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,910
when in fact it probably had
a political and administrative system
321
00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,315
like Egypt and Mesopotamia.
322
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,196
Clearly, so long as we can't
decipher the writing
323
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,279
which means finding
a text that is long enough
324
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,392
to decipher
with the classic techniques
325
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,637
we won t even know
what language they spoke.
326
00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:57,229
ln 1999, a wave of excitement
ran through the Dholavira site.
327
00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,556
At the foot of the northern entrance
328
00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,718
the archaeological team
had made a discovery.
329
00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,959
Their brushes uncovered
what looked like an inscription.
330
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:12,316
After several minutes of careful work
symbols finally emerged.
331
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:17,230
All the workers gathered to watch.
Everyone held their breath.
332
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,398
lt could be an historic moment.
333
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,068
lf the text was long enough
334
00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,556
the lndus script
might finally be deciphered.
335
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,435
One after another
the symbols were uncovered.
336
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,394
Made of inlaid quartz
they were over 30 centimetres high.
337
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,637
Originally they were probably
set in a wooden tablet
338
00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,149
long since rotted away.
339
00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,555
The team was on tenterhooks
340
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:47,709
to recover a message
composed over 4000 years ago.
341
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:02,554
After several hours, the archaeologists
had to accept the inevitable.
342
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:07,629
Once again, they had uncovered
only a handful of signs.
343
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:17,915
The lndus script has yet to find
its Rosetta Stone.
344
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,714
What do these signs mean?
345
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,675
What do they tell us about the structure
of a civilisation that, for a long time,
346
00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,431
was thought to be ruled
by a single man, the priest-king?
347
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:35,872
I think this is the oIdest
signboard in the worId.
348
00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,072
Going back to Harappan times.
349
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,953
WhiIe excavating we found...
350
00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,312
a wooden frame all around it.
351
00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:51,471
And those letters must have been
pasted or laid in that wooden board.
352
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:56,390
I don't think this is the rightful place
for this inscription to lie here.
353
00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:02,391
I beIieve it shouId have been supported
on the facade of this majestic north gate.
354
00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:06,559
I don't think we should broaden
the concept of priest-king.
355
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,512
One doesn't know.
356
00:34:08,720 --> 00:34:11,075
But the kind of situation
we see here...
357
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:12,872
We see that...
358
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:17,392
We think the Harappan Empire
was not ruled by one person.
359
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:21,434
It was an economic empire.
It was a cultural empire.
360
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,557
We envisage
there were several rulers.
361
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,035
Some were mightier than the rest.
362
00:34:28,240 --> 00:34:31,630
One might have been
the mightiest, who knows?
363
00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:35,515
There were several kings
severaI princelings.
364
00:34:35,720 --> 00:34:39,952
ruling over
larger and smaller kingdoms.
365
00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:43,118
(EXPLOSlON)
366
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:59,314
Will these nine stone figures
keep their secret forever?
367
00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:04,677
Did the northern entrance
of the Dholavira citadel
368
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:08,077
bear the name of the sovereign
who ruled the region?
369
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,396
Some experts think so.
370
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:16,150
But others, pointing to the wheels
in the inscription,
371
00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:19,796
think it represents
the first example of a traffic sign
372
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,594
put up at the entrance of a city.
373
00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:34,152
The archaeologists can only dream.
374
00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:38,558
Perhaps, somewhere,
the miraculous treasure awaits them -
375
00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:45,108
the find that will solve the mystery
of a civilisation whose thought eludes us.
376
00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,788
Did it have poets and writers?
377
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:49,956
What were its legends?
378
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,549
What was its concept of the world?
379
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:57,788
Without these texts, we will never
really understand this civilisation...
380
00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:02,710
which soon set its eyes
on faraway lands.
381
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:19,157
4000 years ago.
382
00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:23,911
the people of the lndus set out to find
the mineral resources they lacked.
383
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:28,750
They needed copper, tin,
silver and lapis lazuli.
384
00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:34,751
Their caravans took the road west
towards Baluchistan and today's lran.
385
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:39,556
They founded colonies over
1500 kilometres from their homeland
386
00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:41,716
on the borders of Afghanistan.
387
00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:46,436
Soon they were looking beyond
the Kutch marshes and the lndus delta.
388
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,438
Beyond were lands that attracted them,
389
00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,632
lands where
they could establish harbours.
390
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,276
A strategy of exchange and trade
was taking shape.
391
00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:09,556
Up until then, the people of
the lndus valley had only been boatmen.
392
00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,320
Their craft went up and down the rivers
393
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:16,479
carrying passengers and goods
over hundreds of kilometres.
394
00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:23,319
These small craft
live on in Pakistan.
395
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:28,514
Flat-bottomed boats suited for
shallow waters still ply the rivers.
396
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:32,998
Their design has hardly changed
in 4000 years.
397
00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:37,155
Cautiously, the first navigators followed
the shores of the Sea of Oman westward.
398
00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:40,158
Sea transport soon proved its value.
399
00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:44,114
lt was faster than the long
and vulnerable overland routes
400
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,108
and, above all,
boats carried far more cargo.
401
00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:56,509
But where were
the merchant vessels making for?
402
00:38:59,240 --> 00:39:02,437
The maritime trade
of the lndus civilisation
403
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:07,111
has been studied
over the past 20 years or so.
404
00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:12,758
We knew the rivers were used
for trade between the lndus cities.
405
00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,758
lts maritime trade is more tricky.
406
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:21,671
We know that items from the lndus
reached the Oman peninsula.
407
00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:25,236
that is, today's United Arab Emirates
and Oman
408
00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:28,193
as well as Bahrain and Mesopotamia.
409
00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:32,075
More than that
we have Mesopotamian texts
410
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:35,317
a text by Sargon of Akkad
from around 2300 BC
411
00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,752
saying that in his harbour
were ships from Dilmun
412
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:47,275
which is the Kuwait-Qatar region
centred on Bahrain...
413
00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:50,428
boats from Magan
today's Oman peninsula
414
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,359
and from Meluhha
the land of the lndus.
415
00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:56,757
lt was probably a multilateral trade
416
00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:01,158
involving people
from the whole region.
417
00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,591
lt seems that the first people
to take to the sea
418
00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,030
were not people from the lndus.
419
00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:11,518
We must bear in mind
that today's lndus delta
420
00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:13,756
is subject to huge tides.
421
00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,475
lt's extremely difficult to navigate.
422
00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:22,276
And its sea coast
is also very difficult to navigate.
423
00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:25,392
But at some stage
everyone took to the sea
424
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:27,192
And at that time
425
00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,631
in the middle
of the third millennium BC
426
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:33,274
a time of increased
international trade
427
00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:35,436
like the trade in jewellery
428
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,473
for example
large carnelian beads
429
00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:42,753
which only people from the lndus
knew how to make.
430
00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:47,636
But also the trade in fabrics
including precious fabrics
431
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:52,868
produced and exchanged
in both the lndus and Mesopotamia.
432
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,834
And also all sorts of goods
that came from afar
433
00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:01,352
like combs made of ivory
and all sorts of other items
434
00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:04,870
from as far as the jungles
of the Ganges valley.
435
00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,640
A fabulous odyssey began
436
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:15,914
The first navigators sailed toward
the unknown, and discovered...
437
00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,076
the world.
438
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,629
Sailing from Harappa.
Mohenjo-Daro or Dholavira.
439
00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:28,479
the boats reached
the Oman peninsula.
440
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:30,955
Then,
via the Strait of Hormuz
441
00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:35,312
they sailed the Persian Gulf
all the way to faraway Mesopotamia
442
00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:39,877
3500 kilometres
from the lndus valley.
443
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,549
Abu Dhabi, capital
of the United Arab Emirates
444
00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,354
at the entrance of the Persian Gulf.
445
00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:59,472
Today it is a bustling
commercial port
446
00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:03,593
where fishing boats
jostle with freighters and tankers.
447
00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:07,236
lt was here that the merchants
from the lndus landed.
448
00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:16,798
With their totally different
culture and language
449
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:19,958
how did they make
their first contact?
450
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:26,749
How did these people communicate?
451
00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:30,589
A Sumerian text
from Mesopotamia around 2000 BC
452
00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:33,394
mentions a translator from Meluhha
453
00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:37,639
who spoke the languages
of the lndus and Sumeria.
454
00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:40,149
Pity he didn't leave a dictionary!
455
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:44,353
But we must imagine
that this whole ancient world
456
00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:47,632
where people
constantly exchanged things
457
00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:49,114
was multilingual.
458
00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:51,117
lt's in our world
459
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:57,998
that people now speak
a single language plus English.
460
00:42:58,200 --> 00:42:59,952
ln that ancient world
461
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:04,199
a language was often spoken
by just a few thousand people.
462
00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,949
The neighbouring group
spoke a different language.
463
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:11,596
So all these people
had to be able to communicate.
464
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,833
The island of Umm al-Nar.
465
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:23,672
The influence of its civilisation spread
far and wide over the Arabian desert.
466
00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:27,554
lts royal tombs tell the story.
467
00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:31,719
ln them, archaeologists
have discovered cornelian ornaments
468
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:35,879
and ceramics
typical of the lndus valley.
469
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:46,150
(Man speaks English)
This hole or this burial
goes back to some time
470
00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:51,878
between 2300 and 2000 BC.
471
00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:56,358
So the material, anyway,
mainly the pottery, is under study.
472
00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:59,836
but so far we have identified
at least, I can say
473
00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,794
10% of the whole collection
that was imported from outside
474
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,834
mainIy from the Indus
and BaIuchistan.
475
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:13,470
Even further off
well inside the Persian Gulf
476
00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:16,717
archaeologists are combing
the island of Bahrain
477
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:21,630
for proof of a cultural marriage
between the lndus and Mesopotamia.
478
00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:23,796
lt's a huge task.
479
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:30,838
They have identified a thousand tombs
scattered across 695 square kilometres.
480
00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:49,873
ln this burial complex, Dr Alsendi
is looking for the great prize
481
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:53,755
a text that would allow scholars
to translate the inscriptions
482
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:55,996
of the lndus civilisation.
483
00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:59,476
ln the world of archaeology,
that would have the same impact
484
00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:03,434
as Jean-Fran?ois Champollion's
deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs
485
00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:05,312
in the 1820s.
486
00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:09,991
(Speaks English)
I hope that one day maybe
we will find in one grave
487
00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:13,954
two inscriptions together.
Indus valley and Mesopotamia.
488
00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:18,312
and we can find... we solve the probIem
in one grave and burial.
489
00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:20,556
This is... we hope that.
490
00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:23,593
And... don't forget that Bahrain here
491
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:26,951
we have thousands
and thousands of burial mounds.
492
00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:32,393
And as there is two nations, two cultures
Mesopotamia, Indus valley
493
00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:35,797
coming and sit together here
for a Iong time
494
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:38,468
we beIieve, we beIieve...
495
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:42,434
that one day we will find them.
496
00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:51,358
History teaches that even the greatest
civilisations are destined to disappear.
497
00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:54,791
The lndus civilisation was no exception.
498
00:45:55,000 --> 00:46:00,757
From 1800 BC onward, it was no longer
mentioned in Mesopotamian tablets.
499
00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:04,794
Little by little, the streets
of its cities emptied of people.
500
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:09,630
The craftsmen's quarters
no longer rang to the sound of tools.
501
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:14,038
The buildings and irrigation systems
were left to crumble.
502
00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:19,519
The great cities were ravaged
by time and the elements.
503
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:27,756
How can we explain
this sudden decay?
504
00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:29,957
Theories abound
505
00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,950
Some experts think the empire
succumbed to invaders from Central Asia.
506
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:39,438
Others suggest that it was devastated
by floods or earthquakes.
507
00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:57,797
What cataclysm brought about the end
of these magnificent cities?
508
00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:00,309
And where did their people go?
509
00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,273
Did they die? Did they flee?
510
00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:06,278
Did the disappearance
of the Ghaggar Hakra River
511
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:10,029
force irreversible changes
to their way of life?
512
00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:22,037
We have no texts
to shed light on all this
513
00:47:22,240 --> 00:47:25,869
and we know too little of how
the lndus administration worked
514
00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:29,356
to be able to pin down
the causes of their decline.
515
00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:32,552
And can we really speak
of a decline?
516
00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:37,197
What do we know of the world
that succeeded the lndus civilisation?
517
00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:41,799
How did the lndus civilisation vanish?
518
00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:44,673
First, it didn't suddenly disappear.
519
00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:47,713
What we know
is that from a certain date
520
00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:51,629
that can be established
at around 2000 BC
521
00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:55,230
something we call
"regionalisation" occurred.
522
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:59,399
This vast cultural unity
was replaced by regional entities
523
00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:01,431
that lasted quite a while.
524
00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:04,791
The large cities were abandoned.
that's certain.
525
00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:08,069
That happens quite often.
526
00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:11,431
And the reason
the large cities are abandoned
527
00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:14,393
is that the way society functions
528
00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:18,559
can no longer
support them economically.
529
00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:21,718
But that doesn't mean
the people just left.
530
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:24,878
lt means they started
to live differently
531
00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:27,913
in a manner less visible
to archaeology.
532
00:48:28,120 --> 00:48:32,159
The problem is
archaeologists can't see everything.
533
00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:37,197
The empire literally fell apart.
534
00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:41,757
The fertile lands around Harappa.
Mohenjo-Daro or Dholavira
535
00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:44,315
formed independent states.
536
00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:46,317
New crops appeared
537
00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:50,593
and the peasants began to raise
horses, camels and donkeys.
538
00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:55,669
Gradually, what had been one people
adopted a variety of cultures.
539
00:48:55,880 --> 00:49:00,237
And yet, some have preserved
a part of this heritage.
540
00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:12,990
Adalaj, a temple
in the heart of lndia.
541
00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:17,919
At the foot of these steps carved
in the rock in the 16th century
542
00:49:18,120 --> 00:49:20,111
there's a large well.
543
00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,959
lt's a passage between two worlds -
544
00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:27,278
between the entrails of the earth
and the heavens.
545
00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:32,629
(OBJECT SPLASHES lNTO WATER)
546
00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,718
Thousands of worshippers
still come here
547
00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:39,151
to gaze at the smooth surface
of this water.
548
00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:42,796
lt's thought to be
the purest water of all.
549
00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:50,752
The elusive civilisation of the lndus
was a brilliant chapter in the human story.
550
00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:09,551
Today, the banks of the Ganges
ring with the calls of the faithful
551
00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:12,320
heirs to a long tradition.
552
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:32,515
(Prays)
553
00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:41,230
That is the legacy.
554
00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:44,716
lt was passed on
to medieval and modern lndia
555
00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:48,390
and it reaches us
seemingly unchanged.
556
00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:54,277
These gestures, these chants,
seem to have crossed the centuries.
557
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:57,040
Watching the rituals
of the lndian faithful
558
00:50:57,240 --> 00:51:00,152
worshipping a benevolent god
in the River Ganges
559
00:51:00,360 --> 00:51:03,636
we see the faces
of the people of the lndus.
560
00:51:03,840 --> 00:51:10,996
A people who, to build their empire,
became the masters of the river.